Credit Counseling Resources

Managing Credit

In some dire cases, financially burdened consumers are relying on credit cards to purchase necessities such as food and gas, driving up card balances and compounding the issue of higher food and energy prices – with interest.

When you find yourself in need of money for a large purchase, such as a car, house, or education, chances are you’ll be looking to apply for a loan. While the actual application process for a loan isn’t usually too difficult, there are some things to review, evaluate, and prepare before deciding on a loan and mortgage lender.

In some dire cases, financially burdened consumers are relying on credit cards to purchase necessities such as food and gas, driving up card balances and compounding the issue of higher food and energy prices – with interest.

If you have multiple loan options, shopping for the best and cheapest loan can be complicated, and there are many different factors you’ll have to consider. With different loan terms, time limits and monthly payments, finding the best deal can take some work. There are some basic things to consider and analyze before choosing the perfect loan for you.

The three credit reporting bureaus deal with a substantial amount of information daily. As a result, mistakes can occur on your credit report. Here's what you need to do if you suspect there are errors on your report.

It can be difficult to know when things are just "tight" and when you're facing a significant financial problem. It's important that you don't ignore the warning signs of debt overload. And if you're unsure how bad things have gotten, take this quiz to find out where you stand.

Being deployed and away from home can make paying debt obligations in a timely manner difficult. However, there are some tools available that can help automate your payments and make it easier to keep your good credit history.

Developing good credit is an ongoing process that starts with understanding how credit reporting works. While paying your bills is an essential step in the right direction, there are other smaller, lesser-known steps that are key to establishing and keeping a clean credit report and a good credit score.

You may have recently seen your credit score and wondered how you could improve it. Understanding what is used in the calculation of your credit score is the first step. While the exact formula used in the calculation of the score is proprietary, there are some known factors.

Recently married? You’ll need to decide what to do with your existing outstanding loans and credit card accounts, as well as any new credit accounts that you open when you are married. There are several options available, each with its own pros and cons.

Personal Budgeting

Content related to budgeting, wealth management, and general financial preparation.

It is not necessary to spend a lot of time and effort preparing before talking with a counselor. That being said, if you do have the time to start thinking about some aspects of your finances before speaking with a counselor, it may help to streamline the process.

Divorce can be a complicated, painful process. You can save yourself a lot of unnecessary pain by being proactive when it comes to your finances. Here's how you can navigate the division and repayment of debt, before, during, and after a divorce.

If you are overwhelmed by putting together your financial goals and plans, you may decide to assemble a trusted financial team. Working with one or more of these financial professionals can help put the pieces in place, so that you can meet your goals and plan for the future.

A personal savings account is a great way to being building your savings. The returns are usually pretty minimal, but the risk is incredibly low. If you've never used a personal savings account, this is how you find the right one for you and sign up.

A personal balance sheet calculates your net worth by comparing your financial assets (what you own) with your financial liabilities (what you owe). The difference between the two is your personal net worth. Here's how you can create your own personal balance sheet.

If you find yourself unemployed, one of the most important things you’ll need to do is to maintain your health insurance, especially if your job provided health insurance for your family. Here are the steps you need to take.

Managing financials for a household can be overwhelming, especially when you consider the amount of monthly bills, receipts, paystubs, account statements, and other essential paperwork that is received by a household on a monthly basis. It’s easy to lose track of everything you need, but a good organizing system can keep things right at your fingertips.

Have you ever seen your savings account balance dwindle to nothing and feel like you could not build it up yet again? If you like the security of having money in savings, but have gotten sidetracked, there are two small steps you can take that will help your personal savings grow again without causing discomfort or budget distress.

Regardless of what life stage you are in, you are likely to have some short and long term personal financial goals. Setting tangible and realistic goals, following them, and tracking your progress is the key to success in achieving all of your financial goals.

Americans often find that their retirement savings accounts, usually their largest personal financial asset, can remain with a former employer well after they’ve severed ties. If you’ve transferred jobs more than once, you may find yourself with several retirement accounts at various employers.

If you become a victim of identity theft, time is of the essence. Acting quickly and thoroughly can help to limit the potentially far-reaching implications of having your identity stolen. Following are steps to take when someone steals your identity.

Purchasing a car is a big financial step—probably the largest you’ve considered taking thus far. Young adults should think carefully about all of the ramifications of car ownership before determining whether owning a car is right for them.

As soon as you start spending your own money, it’s time to start tracking your spending so that you can create and follow a personal budget. Keeping track of expenses, while sometimes tedious, is the best way to find out exactly where your money is going.

When working on your business’ financial plan, don’t forget to develop a method for managing your new personal financial situation. Following are some suggestions for making working from home work for you.

Getting a divorce can significantly change your financial situation, and once you are divorced, you’ll need to reassess your finances. After your divorce is final, it is wise to allow time to pass before making any major financial decisions. When you are ready, there are a few things you can do to move forward financially.

If you or someone in your family has had a medical emergency or long-term medical situation, you may be dealing with physical recovery and significant medical bills. Consider taking these steps to better manage those unexpected bills.

If you are looking to increase your income, analyzing your salary at your full-time job is a good place to start. Do you think your work merits an increase in pay? Evaluating yourself and your work through this lens can help you determine whether or not you should talk to your boss about a raise.

Servicemembers who are called into active duty, are deployed, or are entering the military most likely have major concerns beyond paying bills on time and maintaining a good credit history. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) helps servicemembers retain good credit and eliminate financial stress while serving in the military. Here's how.

Building your savings is a crucial aspect of personal finance. Understanding your savings options can be a little confusing at times, thanks to the wide variety of programs available. Use this handy glossary to help understand the difference between available savings options.

The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) is an association of nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education. Today, nearly 300 of these groups participate in the federation and govern it through their representatives on the organization's Board of Directors.

The National Council of Higher Education Resources (NCHER) is the nation’s oldest and largest higher education finance trade association. NCHER’s membership includes state, nonprofit, and for-profit higher education service organizations, including lenders, servicers, guaranty agencies, collection agencies, financial literacy providers, and schools, interested and involved in increasing college access and success. It assists its members in shaping policies governing federal and private student loan and state grant programs on behalf of students, parents, borrowers, and families.

Since 2007, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF) has served as a trusted, neutral source of information for more than eight million homeowners. They are partnered with, and endorsed by, numerous major government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of the Treasury.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD works to strengthen the housing market in order to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; and build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.

The Council on Accreditation (COA) is an international, independent, nonprofit, human service accrediting organization. Their mission is to partner with human service organizations worldwide to improve service delivery outcomes by developing, applying, and promoting accreditation standards.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling® (NFCC®), founded in 1951, is the nation’s largest and longest-serving nonprofit financial counseling organization. The NFCC’s mission is to promote the national agenda for financially responsible behavior, and build capacity for its members to deliver the highest-quality financial education and counseling services.